Bookmark & Share
The $1.7 billion Jewel Changi Airport welcomed its first public visitors on Thursday (April 11), reported Channel NewsAsia.
Over a period of six days, Jewel is expected to receive about 500,000 people who signed up for a preview.
With 95 percent of lease space already taken up, Jewel features over 280 shops and food and beverage outlets.
The 135,700 sq m complex also features a 150-seat Changi Lounge, early check-in counters and kiosks, baggage storage service as well as a 130-cabin hotel.
Aside from new-to-Singapore brands, around 50 percent of its tenant mix consists of brands originating from Singapore. In fact, Level 1 has a dedicated retail cluster of homegrown brands meant to be a one-stop shop for travellers wanting to buy souvenirs.
“It is our vision for Jewel to be a destination like no other,” said Tan Mui Neo, head of leasing at Jewel Changi Airport Development.
The centrepiece of the attraction at Jewel is the world’s tallest indoor waterfall – the 40m Rain Vortex.
Ashith Alva, head of projects at Jewel Changi Airport Development, said water falling through the roof has a velocity of 10,000 gallons per minute, but is reduced to 1,500 to 2,000 gallons per minute during the sound and light shows in the evening.
Meanwhile, Jewel’s Forest Valley boasts 120 species of plants, five percent of which are local, said Jeremy Yeo, head of user experience at Jewel Changi Airport Development.
With temperature kept constant at 23 degrees Celsius, Forest Valley’s specially curated plants include two over 100-year old olive trees from Spain.
“The vision for Jewel Changi Airport is to be a destination where ‘The World meets Singapore, and Singapore meets the World’,” said Jewel Changi Airport Development CEO Hung Jean.
“The unique proposition of world-class shopping and dining, seamlessly integrated with lush greenery, fulfills the needs of increasingly discerning travellers for a meaningful and experiential journey, even for brief layovers.”
Hung noted that the airport expects to receive about 40 to 50 million guests annually, and that it is not only targeted at locals but also transit passengers with over five-hour layover in the city-state.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
Related Articles:
Changi Airport to get new 'Jewel'